Alan Harper

Following an earlier comment about the unravelling of establishment, the Church of Ireland's new primate, Archbishop Alan Harper, has warned churches that they can no longer base their mission on the idea of having “a place as of right” to exert influence in the public arena.

The new head of the (Anglican) Church of Ireland has said that the 1701 Act of Settlement, which prevents a Catholic from marrying a monarch, should be abolished. He has also affirmed that the disestablishment of the Church of England would be a positive rather than a negative step.